HOUSTON – As excitement builds ahead of the FIFA World Cup in Houston, one local soccer fan says the premium seats he believed he purchased for $22,000 ended up being different from what he was shown during the sales process.
Saad Qureshi, a Houston resident and longtime soccer fan, says he purchased five FIFA hospitality packages through On Location — FIFA’s official hospitality provider — after months of discussions with a sales representative about seating options.
Qureshi said he was thrilled when he learned World Cup matches would be played in Houston.
“I don’t know if you’ll ever get another opportunity,” Qureshi said.
The hospitality packages covered two Houston matches and cost a total of $22,000, according to purchase documents reviewed by KPRC 2.
FULL WORLD CUP GUIDE: FIFA World Cup 2026 in Houston: Complete guide to matches, parking, Fan Fest, transportation and more
Text messages showed specific seating sections
Qureshi provided KPRC 2 with text messages exchanged with an On Location sales representative identified as Eric.
In the messages, Qureshi repeatedly asked about seating locations, sightlines and hospitality options. He ultimately told the representative he wanted the “Champions Club” package.
The sales representative responded by sending stadium diagrams with specific seating areas highlighted in red and discussed pricing differences based on how close seats would be to the field, according to screenshots provided by Qureshi.
Qureshi said he understood from those conversations that his seats would be located in lower-level sections near the pitch.
“He told me this is the Champions section, this is where you’re sitting,” Qureshi said.
When ticket assignments were released this week, Qureshi said he discovered his seats had been assigned to Section 308 in the upper deck instead.
Qureshi said he compared the assigned seats to the diagrams he received during the sales process and immediately noticed the discrepancy.
“From my perspective it is worse off,” he said. “You expect to get what you paid for.”
In documentation submitted to FIFA and On Location, Qureshi described the difference as a “material seating-location discrepancy” and requested a relocation to the originally represented seating area.
FIFA hospitality provider called it an upgrade
After contacting On Location and FIFA hospitality representatives, Qureshi said he was told the reassignment constituted a complimentary upgrade because it included access to a higher level of hospitality service.
An email reviewed by KPRC 2 stated the new package would provide access to a “higher level of service.”
Qureshi disagrees with that assessment.
“From my perspective and my friends’ perspective, it’s not an upgrade, because we paid for actually watching the game,” he said.
While he says he appreciates the opportunity to attend the World Cup, he believes customers should receive what they were led to expect.
“I don’t dislike my seats,” Qureshi said. “I just feel like it’s unfair because I paid for something and then I’m getting something so different.”
KPRC 2 reviewed FIFA World Cup 2026 Hospitality Sales Regulations.
The regulations state that an order confirmation is only an indication of availability and “does not guarantee the customer shall receive such hospitality packages.”
The terms also specify that sales materials, illustrations and descriptions are intended to provide only an approximate idea of hospitality packages and do not form part of the sales agreement.
The regulations further state that On Location sales agents do not have authority to make guarantees, commitments or warranties on behalf of the company.
Qureshi said no one verbally told him that the seating sections shown in the diagrams were not guaranteed.
Qureshi said he has filed a complaint with the Texas Attorney General’s Office and hopes FIFA and On Location will reconsider his seating assignment or provide another resolution.
KPRC 2 reached out to On Location, FIFA’s official hospitality provider, for comment regarding Qureshi’s concerns and the communications he provided. As of yet, no response had been received.
The law firm Zimmerman & Reed may be looking into pursuing a class action lawsuit.